Hannah’s Viscount

Lelia M. Silver

 

Chapter 1

Hannah sighed in relief at the warm brick the groom tucked by her feet. Even the layers of thick wool blankets piled on her lap and her warmest cloak weren’t enough to ward off the bitter chill in the air. Snow fell thick and furious on the other side of her window, the wind swirling it into a white wall. Somewhere out there was an inn where warm fires blazed and a comfortable bed awaited guests, but Hannah couldn’t see it.

Her cousin Theo clambered back inside, shaking the snow from his hat and shoulders. “There aren’t any rooms available. They were completely filled up with travelers who decided to delay their journey because of the weather.”

“I guess that means we have to keep going,” commented Theo’s younger sister, Adele. “I was so hoping for a hot cup of tea.”

They had been scheduled to stay the night at another inn ten miles farther along the route to her cousins’ home in Yorkshire, but when the weather had turned, they’d decided to stop and see if there were any rooms available for the night.

“It’s not much farther.” Even Theo didn’t sound convinced by his statement. In this weather, ten miles might as well be on the other side of the country.

“Unless you want to share the floor of the keeping room with twenty other people as your bed tonight, our only option is to keep going,” advised Hannah.

She didn’t like it any better than Adele did, but she was pragmatic. Her cousins weren’t used to sharing a bedroom with two sisters the way she was, much less a room full of strangers. The children of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rockingham were used to the finer things in life. They wouldn’t consider those arrangements an acceptable option when they could press on. Nor would they insist upon some other guests giving up their room for them just because of their titles.

The carriage jostled as the driver and groom took their places again. She shivered and tucked her chin into the scarf around her throat as the carriage jolted into motion, their pace slowing to a crawl because of the weather.

Silence fell in the carriage. Theo stared out the window, a worried pucker to his brow. Adele leaned her head on her brother’s shoulder. It wasn’t long before her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. Hannah shifted, wishing she had something to distract herself with. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, it felt like it was late in the evening because of the thick gloom of the day. It was too dark to read in the carriage, so there was nothing but her own thoughts to occupy her mind.

That was a dangerous proposition for more reason than one.

For several hours they rolled forward, drawing closer to their destination inch by inch. The muscles in Hannah’s shoulders and neck tightened with every mile that passed and the going got more and more treacherous.

Twice they had to stop for the driver to get down and confirm they were still on the right road. The heat from the warm brick was only a memory by that point. Hannah became increasingly jealous of Adele and Theo’s position on the opposite bench. She had no one to huddle with for warmth like they did.

She burrowed deeper into the cocoon of blankets surrounding her and tried to be grateful that she was out of the wind and snow, unlike their poor driver and groom. She could feel the strain on the horses that pulled their carriage mounting as the snow deepened. The wheels slid and slipped on the ice, jolting them all. And then, suddenly, the wheels just stopped turning.

Hannah waited for the driver to clamber down again, assuming that he must have lost sight of the road just as he had the two times previously. She could hear the faint muffled sounds of the groom and driver shouting back and forth, but the words were whipped away by the wind.

Adele stirred across from her. “What happened? Why did we stop? Are we there?”

“We are still a couple of miles from Nottingham.” Theo frowned. “I’m sure the driver has a good reason for stopping.” He fiddled with the brim of his hat as he debated before settling it firmly on his head. “I’m going to go see what’s happening.”

He opened the door before Hannah could advise him against it, the wind howling as he stepped out. Snow settled at her feet and began melting into a puddle as the door was once again closed. The window panes had frosted over, so she could only make out a vague dark shape as he circled the carriage to speak to the driver.

Adele turned to her with wide eyes. “What do you think happened?”

Hannah just shrugged. There was no sense in speculating at this point. Everything could be fine or they could be stuck with no place of refuge in the middle of the storm.

Theo wasn’t gone for long. He climbed back into the carriage in a flurry of snowflakes. His cheeks were wind chapped and pink.

“What did you find out?” asked Hannah before Adele could demand the same information from him.

Theo rubbed his hands together and blew into them to try to warm them. “We are thoroughly stuck. The good news is that there is a manor house just over the next rise. The groom has gone for help. If we are fortunate, we shall soon be ensconced around a warm fire and out of the weather.”

Adele cheered. “I can’t wait! It feels like we’ve been traveling for hours and hours.”

Hannah smiled at her cousin’s youthful enthusiasm. Sometimes she forgot the difference in their ages, but then Adele would act all of her fifteen years and Hannah was reminded of the five years between them. “We kind of have been, not that you were awake for most of it, Miss Sleepyhead.”

Adele wrinkled her nose at her. “That just means that I made good use of my time. What do you have to show for all those hours, Hannah?”

Hannah smiled. “Not much of value. Just a headache for my troubles. Let us hope that there is someone in residence or we may yet be walking the final miles to Nottingham.”

Adele pouted. “Surely not.”

There was a commotion outside and the sound of voices carried on the wind. Theo rose again. “Our salvation may be nigh. I’m going to go see what’s going on.”

Hannah strained to make out the words as he disappeared back into the vortex of snow. The voices grew and tripped over each other. More men joined the conversation. Help had definitely arrived. Relief coursed through her.

Adele started uncovering her lap, stripping off the layers of blankets that had buffered the cold air. Hannah stayed her with a hand. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Getting ready to go to the house. I can barely move with all these coverings.”

“It may take a long time for the men to unhook the horses. We should remain as we are until they are ready to escort us. There is no sense being cold before we have to be. Besides, we should be conserving our energy. It will be a long, strenuous walk back to the house in this weather, despite its proximity.”

Someone jerked the door open and they both turned to look at whoever it was when they didn’t immediately enter or close the door.

“Were you raised in a barn?” Hannah snapped. “Either come in or shut the do-“

Hannah abruptly closed her mouth over the words, for she recognized the man who peered in at them, despite the hat pulled low over his brow and the overcoat disguising his broad shoulders. Shock filled her, driving out her anxiety over the weather. She hadn’t seen that face outside of her dreams in nearly three years.

Hannah had been expecting Theo or one of their servants. It wasn’t like her cousin to send a stranger to see to the women who had been entrusted to his care. But he had.

Or rather, he’d sent someone who was a stranger to him and Adele. The man before them was no stranger to her. The sudden realization that she had made a very grave error in judgment when she’d agreed to make this trip washed over Hannah.

There, before her, was a face she had hoped to never to see again in her life. The familiar arrogant smirk of her archnemesis filled her eyesight until it was all she could see. The sound of the blood pounding in her temples filled her ears and drowned out his reply.

Owen Hastings, Viscount Bindon, stood before her in the flesh and blood.

Her shock quickly turned to something else, a burning low in her belly that only he had ever inspired in her.

Hannah glared. “You.”

A wicked grin spread slowly across Owen’s face. “Well, hello, Miss Bowen. What an unexpected delight.”

 

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